


after the flood (the colors all came out)

by naasad



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Grayson (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Bruce tries, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mourning, Ra's al Ghul's A+ Childrearing, Unhealthy Relationships, fear toxin, flashbacks to child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 08:34:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15190910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naasad/pseuds/naasad
Summary: "I didn't see anything. I just knew I failed you and you were going to punish me."





	after the flood (the colors all came out)

**Author's Note:**

> Title and the verse at the end are from Beautiful Day by U2. Don't tell me Dick wouldn't love that song. :P

Damian ran through the forest, tripping over rocks and roots, a bloody trail marking his journey from the manor to the woods plain as day. He sobbed and gritted his teeth, continuing on, ignoring the pain in his bare feet and the slip-slide of red-soaked skin against rain and mud.

He chanced a glance behind him, hoping and dreading that no one had come to take him back - not home, not home.

A puddle sent him sprawling, and he curled there for a minute, soaking his shirt and sweat-pants with the dirty water beneath him and the cleaner water pouring from the heavens.

"Damian!"

His heart caught in his throat.

"Damian!"

He clambered to his feet and raced for the caves closer to the foothills, if he could just get there for the night....

Lightning flashed and thunder cracked, spurring him to run even faster.

He was close - within spitting distance - when something heavy collided with his temple, sending him crashing to the ground, whimpering even in unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

 

He awoke to bright lights and shrill beeping, terrific fear still seizing every part of him. He rolled off the gurney, tearing the sensors off his body and the IV out of his arm, and scurried backward until he hit the wall.

Bruce's gaze snapped up from the floor as the beeping turned into a whine. "Damian." He stood and turned off the monitors, reaching for his son.

Damian flinched back as far as he could, sobbing and trembling.

Bruce sat down on the cold floor and removed his cowl. "Crane dosed you with fear toxin. We didn't realize until after you disappeared." He opened and closed his fist. "That was three days ago. You died twice."

Damian shook, tears streaming down his face, and forced himself to laugh. "That's twice more than Todd, now," he rasped and grinned, all false. "I win."

Bruce reached for a glass of water and set it between them.

Damian eyed the cup but chose to remain near the wall.

"What did you see?" Bruce asked.

Damian shook his head, wiping at his eyes, trying to ignore the alarms blaring in the back of his skull. "I didn't see anything. I - I felt and I knew that I had failed you. That you were going to punish me for it."

"Punish you how?"

Damian's lip trembled and he pressed his skull against the wall before inching his shirt above his head.

"Damian...." Bruce's voice broke, and he pressed his broad palm to the motley of old and new scars - many more than _he_ had ever gained in the service of Ra's al Ghul.

  

* * *

 

_Talia pressed her hand against Damian's back, wiping away the blood. He'd ruined yards of fabric already. He wept in pain, and she held him closer than she ever would again._

* * *

 

_"Mercy!" Damian cried, tearing his gaze away from the limp form of his nursemaid - the one he'd failed to kill. Red streamed down both their backs, more on hers than his. "Mercy!"_

_The whipping stopped only for a moment as Ra's al Ghul descended from his throne. "Mercy?" he demanded of the child. "You expect our enemies will give you mercy? Double the lashes!" he ordered the executioner._

_The acolyte paused, then nodded and succumbed to Ra's' will. They all did in the end._

_"What is the meaning of this?" Talia demanded, arriving late._

_Damian screamed._

  

* * *

 

Bruce unlatched his heavy cape and swaddled his son in the thick Kevlar, shielding him as best he could, holding him near his heart.

Damian sobbed as he settled on his father's chest. "I want Grayson."

Bruce glanced across the cave at the computer screen. It would take a phone call.

It would ruin months of work.

It would make his son happy.

He pressed a kiss to Damian's temple and stood, carrying him to the computer. It was the work of a few keystrokes to transfer old files to a handheld device. "Did you know Dick played guitar?"

Damian sniffed and wiped his face on the black fabric of the cape. "I did," he murmured, voice still wet.

Bruce hummed and settled a pair of headphones around Damian's ears. "When he first set out as Nightwing, he spent some time recording himself playing and singing songs."

Damian closed his eyes as the first lines rang out - Grayson's voice soothing as ever.

 

_"The heart is a bloom  
Shoots up through the stony ground  
There's no room  
No place to rent in this town"_

 

It was easy to pretend he was with his brother.

Bruce leaned back and closed his eyes, remembering another small Robin who would curl up in his arms - one that liked to sing.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I did not use a single adverb in this. *collapses* Please comment and tell me what you think. I'm just going to lay on the floor for a moment.


End file.
